Grace Lee Whitney was an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Janice Rand on the hugely popular science fiction film and television series ‘Star Trek.’ Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as Mary Ann Chase, she was adopted by the Whitney family. She was interested in the prospect of becoming an actress ever since she was a kid. As a teenager, she worked at Detroit’s WJR Radio as a ‘girl singer.’ She left home and moved to Chicago and sang in the Nightclubs of Chicago. She made her big screen debut in 1954 with an un-credited guest role as Miss Holland in the film titled ‘Top Banana.’ She followed with small roles in series’ such as ‘The Walter Winchell File,’ ‘Mike Hammer,’ and ‘The Naked and the Dead.’ She had her major career breakthrough in 1966 when she was signed to play a supporting role as Yeoman Janice Rand in the series titled ‘Star Trek.’ She then reprised her role in the subsequent four ‘Star Trek’ films. In addition, she also appeared in films such as ‘Irma la Douce’ and ‘House of Wax.’ In the 1960s and 1970s, she remained closely associated with music and played with the band titled Star as a singer.
